There have been several proposed changes to the Mexican league, which will format itself to be much like the English Premier League.Representatives of all 18 first-division teams in Mexico decided unanimously to break away from the FMF and persue an independent league styled after the English Premier League.

FMF general secretary Decio de Maria has been named the league's commissioner.

The new independent league - Liga MX dubbed "Liga Premier" by the local media - has proposed many changes from the older format. Similar to England's Barclays Premier League, the Mexican league is looking to have a designated sponsor. Expanding the league from 18 to 20 will also be strongly considered.

The relegation system, which currently sees the last six tournaments taken into account in order to demote a team, will be revised under the new proposal. Also a 0-0 draw would yield zero points for involved teams, a 1-1 draw would equal one point for each, and a 2-2 tie and beyond would be two points.

The Liga MX Apertura 2013 ‘Liguilla’ (Playoffs), are set to begin this Saturday, November 23, 2013 after a two week halt following Mexico’s participation in the FIFA World Cup Intercontinental Playoffs against New Zealand. Now that ‘el tri’ is qualified into Brazil 2014, the focus has once again shifted into the Liga MX, as the league’s top 8 teams will compete for the championship. People say that the playoffs is a whole new tournament, but the reality is that there are three teams favored to be crowned champions. Club America, Santos, and Leon will see to compete for greatness, while the fans will have to await for any ‘dark’horses’.

Mexican-American GK William Yarbroughleads León to win over Club América & Liga MX title

Club León are the campeones of Mexico thanks in large part to a big, blond goalkeeper with roots in Texas and a US passport to his name.

William Yarbrough, who was born in Aguascalientes, Mexico, after his parents emigrated from Texas in the 1980s, turned in a tremendous performance on Sunday night in the second leg of the Liga MX Apertura final against Club América, as León won the match, 3-1, and the series, 5-1 on aggregate.

Yarbrough, 24, has not represented either Mexico or the US at any level; however, he was on the roster for Mexico's U-23 team at the 2012 Olympic qualifying tournament.

On Sunday, he need to be sharp. He faced 11 shots on goal from a desparate América side urged on by their fans at the Estadio Azteca. But only one got through, and León's attack got the job done at the other end, with Mauro Boselli, Nacho Gonzalez, and Edwin Hernandez notching a goal each.

The victory is León's sixth domestic championship and their first since 1992.

With the Clausura playoffs set (La liguilla), there are a number of intriguing matchups to follow in Liga MX.

Cruz Azul vs. Leon

Late goals from Rogelio Chavez and Mauro Formica proved enough for Cruz Azul to overcome Pumas on Saturday and end the regular season in first place.

Will the curse of the Superlider strike again or can Cruz Azul build on last week’s CONCACAF Champions League triumph and go on to claim a ninth league title, its first since 1997?

Luis Fernando Tena would probably have felt more confident of his side’s chances had Chivas crept into la Liguilla at Leon’s expense on Sunday. But Chivas’ loss to Monterrey means Cruz Azul will face 2013 Apertura champion Leon, whose 2-1 win over Tijuana on Friday eventually proved enough to seal the final berth in the playoffs.

Although recent performances have been underwhelming, Leon’s midweek exit from the Copa Libertadores means its domestic form will no longer suffer as a result of the distractions of continental cup football.

With the experience of Rafa Marquez and the offensive threat of Carlos Peña and Luis Montes, Leon has the potential to hurt Tena’s side, and it will undoubtedly prove a more dangerous opponent than the lightweight Guadalajara side that Cruz Azul might have hoped to face.

Toluca vs. Tijuana

Once Cruz Azul sealed the top spot the night before, Toluca knew there was nothing at stake in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with America as a second-place finish was already guaranteed.

The Diablos Rojos will now face Tijuana, which could have gone third and secured a more favorable draw in the playoffs were it not for Friday’s rare home defeat to Leon.

Still, Xolos will go into the tie with confidence, having beaten Toluca 3-1 at the Estadio Caliente just three weeks ago. Tijuana also boasts a superior head-to-head record, with four wins and just one defeat from the eight games contested by the two sides.

Pumas vs. Pachuca

Pachuca set the tone for an exciting weekend with a stunning comeback against Queretaro on Friday night.

Leading 3-0 up until the 75th minute, Gallos Blancos looked certain to earn the victory they needed to keep their playoff hopes alive. But the troubled home side capitulated as Los Tuzos pulled off the most unlikely of recoveries with Enrique Esqueda and Dario Carreño each netting twice in an unbelievable final 15 minutes.

Pachuca will now face Pumas, who finished ahead of Santos and America on goal difference, despite that defeat to Cruz Azul.

The last game between the two was a goalless draw in early March. Neither side is in great form but Pumas will enjoy the advantage of playing the decisive second leg at home.

Santos vs. America

Santos had the chance to leapfrog Pumas into third place on Saturday but could only manage a 2-2 draw with lowly Veracruz. That result, coupled with America’s tie with Toluca, meant both clubs finished on 25 points with a goal difference of plus four.

Santos’ superior scoring record (the Torreon side has netted a league-high 33 goals this season; America has only scored 21) proved the only difference between them, ensuring the former has the advantage of playing the second leg at home.

Last week’s Copa Libertadores defeat means Santos – like Leon – is now free to concentrate fully on the playoffs.

Santos may also enjoy a psychological advantage over America, having triumphed in the last three matchups, and pulling off an impressive comeback in coming from 2-0 down to win 4-2 at the Estadio Azteca in March.

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